Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1887-11-02
WHOLE NO. 1854.
THE USE OF COFFEE.
HOW THE BERRY DISPUTES THE
SUPREMACY OF TEA AND BEER.


Coffee in European Countries tn.
Arabs Method of Experimentation
Coffee-What Brillat savarin savs-Er.
fects of Excessive Indulgence.
Inc use Of coffee is general in all civil
lzed countries, but its preparation and
consumption vary considerably. Among
the Arabs it is universal, whether in sucb
centers of civilization as Cairo AIevan-
orla and Algiers, or in the desert. The
only exceptions are caused by the povertv
Whlch prevents its purchase. In France
II Is the favOrite beverage, though tea IL
growing IN power. The social and com
ilerclal eiiects in that country of its sud
ueh ahnlhllatlon can readily be imapined
4enS OF thousands Of cafes and n million
OF people would find their occupation
gone, and several millions of Frencbnoen
would be seen wandering about after din
ner In an utterly homeless and distracted
manner In England tea still disputes
the supremacy of the Arab berry. In
germany 1t divides the honors with beer.
ana IN Austria, Spain and italy it is a
solace and inspiration of the people in
town and city. There is no European citv
so small, no village so cOntemptible. that
II mas not its cafe modelled, though it is
tI an exceedingly weak imitation, on
those OF the Paris boulevards.
In the United States its use varies in
different localities A quarter of a cen
fury ago it was the ordinary accountant
ment OF the first meal of the dav ton
being generally served at the evening re-
past: In the eastern states this practice
continues. In the western and southern
states coffee is more esteemed, and in the
ruraI districts is considered absolutely
necessary to the three meals a dav of the
farming classes. In large American cities
Where there IS late dinner, in the French
fashion, coffee is either served at table or
In the drawing room Immediately after
ward. ''-'0'
In all countries, even in France good
coffee is the exception rather than the
rule The visitor in Paris drinks s'reaI
French Coffee" technically so called. at
certain places only On the boulevard and
mere and there in other parts of the citv
at hotels and restaurants. In England
poor coffee is the rule, following in this
respect the general inferiority of the
BRUSH cuisine. In Germany coffee is
generally good at restaurants and railroad
DuIeIs, while at the principal cafes Of the
and Buda-Pesth-it is excellent and often
served with cream. At the great cafes NJ
Italian and Spanish towns it is rarely
more than fair.
In England and America coffee is usualIv
made by infusion; on the continent al
most always by filtering boiling water
once or twice through the powdered
berry. The Arabs at Cairo and elsewhere
preserve their old fashion; that is. they
simply pour boiling water on to the DOW
uered coffee, and after a minute or tyo's
slmmering serve it with the grounds
The pot, which is not covered, is of con-
per or brass, tapering toward the top like
a tin teapot andl having a long handle.
The berry has been previously roasted
and prayed in a mortar. 1t is never
ground. Brillat Savarin, in his learned
work, The Physiology Of Taste" saws
that coffee powdered in this manner is the
best, and he adds that, having quantity
OF the roasted berry, he divided it into
sWo equal parts, one of which he brayed
In mortar and the other ground in
mill. The coffee was made by filtration.
and company of connoisseurs to whom
he submitted it all declared that best.
which they were afterward told had been
powdered in the mortar.
The Arabs employ wooden pestles.
which, after long use, are sold at a high
price. Five or six minutes are all that
are necessary for the Arabs or Turks to
prepare their coffee after it is once roasted.
All that is necessary is the simple ma
chinery described-a brass pot, a handful
OF charcoal in a window seat or on the
ground, and the beverage is promptly
made and served Travellers invariably
speak of Arab and Turkish coffee as ex-
cellent, but among civilized nations the
presence of the grounds is always consid-
cred Objectionable, and some means of
Qualification are invariably used such as
the patent pots for infiltration or the
white of eggs, where the process is by in
fusion.
Brillat Savarin, after having tried all
methods of making coffee, declared that
the most efficient for preserving the aroma
and avoiding the extraction of the poison
Gus principle was by filtration. But he
always speaks Of coffee as beverage. to
be used discreetly by adults and forbid
den to children. Ia small quantities and
not too strong, it is healthy stimulus to
the nerves. Used in excess, it produces
disease and sometimes deformity. He
once saw in Leicester square in London a
man who, by its immOderate use, had be-
come cripple. He had lost all sensation
in his imbs-had ceased to suffer. but
still continued to drink it to the extent of
five or six cups day.
Every person should be governed in its
use by its effect on himself AS a gentle
inspiration it is valuable 1t may some
times be safely drank as an aid to intel
Iectual labor. Taken at the proper
moment, it will prevent a headache re-
sulting from nervous depression. Properly
1sed after dinner, it aids the digestion and
,ounteracts the heavy effects Of wine or
other stimulants. But if it is found that
It prevents sleep when taken late in the
lay, or that it is an absolute necessity at
certain hours to prevent nervous reac-
ion or mental dullness, its use should be
for several days, or until the
system is restored to its normal condition.
1t must never be forgotten that sleep is
5b" great stimulus of the body; is tired
I res sweet restOrer and that other
OflantS, though sometimes useful, are
like medicines, temporary remedies-that
IS to say, they are usually to be regarded
IS achOice between two evils. Coffee is a
beverage of great power. A man might
brink two bottles OF good red wine day,
and live long. Should he drink the same
quantity daily of good coffee he would be-
come an imbecile, cripple, or die Of in
estinal or lung disorders.-San Francisco
Chronicle.